crankyoldlady
Member
After resizing and depriming brass casings , how should I dispose of the spent primers? I don't want to throw them in the trash if there is a better alternative.
spent primer disposal
- Thread starter crankyoldlady
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SilentVectorX
Member
- Joined
- Oct 24, 2010
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- 36
They're brass. Recycle them as scrap. Probably take a few thousand to get a few bucks though 
Sunray
Member
"...Probably take a few thousand to..." More like a few million to make it worthwhile. They're not brass either. Nor is there anything hazardous in a spent primer.
Just pitch 'em.
Just pitch 'em.
HOWARD J
Member
I take the red cap off the Lee spent primer tube ( on my turret press)& let them fall
into the trash can -I love how it catches 99.9% of the primers--great machine.
into the trash can -I love how it catches 99.9% of the primers--great machine.
bubbacrabb
Member
They go into the trash. Just as all my scrap brass does. I honestly think it would take years to make a full bucket of scrap. Just not worth the hopes of how ever much a bucket of scrap brass would make. I just cant see taking up the space in my garage for it.
ReloaderFred
Member
Those of you who are dumping spent primers in the trash should know that I recently took a 3/4 full coffee can of spent primers to the recyclers, along with my non-reloadable brass, and the primers brought me just over $70.00.
Hope this helps.
Fred
Hope this helps.
Fred
Armored farmer
Member
I filled some 25# lead shot bags with spent primers and used 'em for sandbags.
Armored farmer
Member
???what??? ??why??
gamestalker
member
I just save them in a plastic bag and take them with me to the recycling center a couple times a year for the metal weight.
mc223
Member
I just throw them in with my scrap brass. I pick up every thing left behind by others at the local range. I sort what I use and take a 5 gallon bucket to sell to the scrapper twice a year. I usually get enough $s to keep me shooting all summer.
evan price
Member
Centerfire cartridge primers are brass, the anvil, the cup, etc..... all brass. If you only shoot a little, not worth the effort to save really. If you shoot a lot- they add up. At $2.25 a pound every little bit helps! I keep lidded buckets that I put in old keys, plumbing parts, spent primers, damaged/rejected shells, etc. and I probably wind up with 20 gallons a year depending on how much I shoot and do odd projects.
A full 5-gallon bucket of brass is worth about $100-$130 nowadays.
A full 5-gallon bucket of brass is worth about $100-$130 nowadays.
snuffy
Member
They most certainly ARE brass. What did you think they were made of?
Also, they are indeed hazardous. The primer compound is lead styphonate. A lead salt that is easily absorbed by us humans. Exposure to a lot of spent primer dust will raise your lead/blood level to a dangerous level. Just be careful handleing them, wash your hands well after dealing with dead primers.
FROGO207
Member
Yes there are some things most will dismiss but a few 5 GAL buckets of scrap brass and primers will be worth while these days. I have recently gone to the recycle center and a pile of scrap brass, including a 1 1/2 Gal bucket of primers, that weighed just over 140 LBS netted $265. BTW I recycle the pile of unusable brass and copper jackets once a year, usually in the spring. I wish that I still had those primers to use for reloading instead of recycling them.
BTW I recycle the pile of unusable brass and copper jackets once a year, usually in the spring. I wish that I still had those primers to use for reloading instead of recycling them.john bh
Member
New to reloading. I have a question, if you have a live primer in the case. How would you handle that, for recycling?
john16443
Member
john bh - I suggest you slowly remove that live primer in your decapping stage and reseat it in a new case. If it's still live, it should be useable. Slow, steady pressure on the press arm should safely remove it from the piece of scrap brass.
dickttx
Member
You throw them in the trash. That's the reason they call it trash.
jcwit
member
Yup, throw then in the trash, thats the American way, another reason we have mountains we call land fills.
Seriously folks, why not recycle them? Or are you'al so flush with cash, extra money means nothing to you.
The logic here is unbelievable.
Seriously folks, why not recycle them? Or are you'al so flush with cash, extra money means nothing to you.
The logic here is unbelievable.
amlevin
Member
jcwit said:
Not to mention the laziness of some.
leadchucker
Member
I get a nice little chunk of cash for not a lot of trouble, from recycling scrap metal, primers included. (They are BRASS, brass has good scrap value)
I ain't throwing money in the trash.
I ain't throwing money in the trash.
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